


drowning in you

by corinnana



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, iwaizumi doesn't play volleyball, lifeguard iwaizumi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:29:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24563884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corinnana/pseuds/corinnana
Summary: “Hey, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa’s dark eyelashes flutter. "It’s good that you’re a lifeguard, because I’m drowning in your eyes."Iwaizumi groans and hits him in the head with his rescue tube.-Or, an AU in which Iwaizumi is a lifeguard, not a volleyball player. But Seijoh still loses to Karasuno, Oikawa is looking for a savior, and Iwaizumi’s world is shifted on its axis.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 38
Kudos: 271





	drowning in you

Until he meets Oikawa, Iwaizumi has never hated his job as a lifeguard.

The job itself isn’t too difficult; he spends most of his hours sitting in the stand and yelling at kids for running on the pool deck. The cleaning and rearranging of pool furniture is tolerable, and Iwaizumi enjoys checking pool chemicals and water levels. 

Plus, the pool patrons are friendly, not like the awful customers Iwaizumi dealt with at his old job in customer service at the mall. And after a few weeks lifeguarding at the pool, he’s on good terms with most of the regulars. 

There’s Nishinoya, who likes to yell “rolling thunder” as he cannonballs into the pool, and his friend, Tanaka, who has a habit of ripping his shirt off. On some mornings, the bespectacled beauty shows up, a cold girl named Kiyoko who is excellent at swimming backstroke and rejecting Tanaka’s advances.

And, of course, there’s Oikawa.

At first, Iwaizumi doesn’t know too much about him. He notices that Oikawa usually brings his young nephew, Takeru, to the pool. He wins every breath-holding competition and claims to win every splashing competition. He wears blue-green swim trunks and has an unusually nice physique (not that Iwaizumi is looking.) 

He also rapidly earns the distinct honor of Making Iwaizumi Absolutely Hate His Job.

* * *

  
  


The first time they meet, Oikawa forgets his key to enter the pool and bangs on the wrought iron fence until Iwaizumi leaves the lifeguard stand to talk to him.

“Hi there, Lifeguard-chan!” He winks at Iwaizumi through the fence and casually runs a hand through his dark hair. Iwaizumi winces. “Do you think you could let me and my nephew in? Takeru over here seems to have forgotten our key.”

“No, _you_ forgot the key,” the boy beside the dark-haired stranger sniffs. “I heard Mommy tell you not to forget the key.”

Iwaizumi looks at the pool, then back to the teenager and the boy behind the fence. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not allowed to let people into the pool unless they have proof of residence.”

“ _Sir_?” He sounds aghast. “I bet we’re the same age, so you can call me Oikawa! Or any pet name you want.”

“I’m going to need proof of residence, Oikawa-san.”

He points to a brick house directly across the street. “I live over there.” 

“Okay, then what’s your house number?”

Oikawa squints at the mailbox by the brick house. “Uh… 120. Or it might be 128. I can’t really tell from here.”

Takeru tugs on Oikawa’s sleeve until Oikawa leans down, whispering loudly enough that Iwaizumi can still hear. “I think it’s 128.”

Oikawa turns and smiles smoothly at Iwaizumi. “I live in 128.”

Iwaizumi doesn’t believe him, but he’s tired of arguing with the pool patrons and he really needs to get back to the lifeguard stand before some kid drowns, so he acquiesces. When he opens the door, Oikawa flashes a gleaming smile at him.

“To the pool, Takeru! Say thank you to Lifeguard-chan!”

“Thank you, Lifeguard-chan,” Takeru echoes before making a beeline to the shallow end. He’s about to slip on a puddle of water when Oikawa tenses up next to Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi brings the red whistle up to his lips and blows. “No running!”

Takeru slows down from a sprint to a fast walk, and Iwaizumi sighs.

Iwaizumi turns to Oikawa, who seems to be eyeing him up and down. Oikawa’s eyes stop on the whistle in Iwaizumi’s mouth, and the corners of his lips curl up.

“Hey, Lifeguard-chan!” Oikawa says. Iwaizumi takes the whistle out of his mouth.

“My name is Iwaizumi.” He reminds himself to inhale through his nose, exhale through his mouth, and avoid hitting pool patrons. He _likes_ this job. Usually.

“Okay, Iwa-chan! I know I said you can call me Oikawa, but what I really meant was, you can call me anytime!” Oikawa winks and makes a phone gesture with his hand to his ear before striding off to a nearby table.

Iwaizumi realizes, belatedly, that he is not paid nearly enough to deal with this. 

* * *

Oikawa and Takeru show up to the pool every single day Iwaizumi is on duty. Takeru likes to use water guns and play games like Sharks and Minnows or Marco Polo with the other children who come to the pool. Oikawa alternates between playing with Takeru in the deep end, competing with young children in things that don’t matter, chatting with other pool patrons, and annoying Iwaizumi to death. He tries to chicken-fight as a team with Takeru on multiple occasions despite Iwaizumi's shrill whistles and warnings, and he doesn't know the meaning of "NO DIVING."

“Iwa-chan!” 

Iwaizumi pretends not to hear him as he continues to scan the pool. Two boys, one with unruly orange hair and the other with a permanent scowl, are splashing each other in the deep end. They're both loud, but not as loud as Oikawa approaching him.

“Iwa-chaaaan.” He can practically hear Oikawa pouting, but he doesn’t look down from the lifeguard stand. “I know you can hear me.”

“Then spit it out already.”

A pause. “If I drowned, would you save me?”

Iwaizumi scoffs. “You’re too tall to drown in this pool.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“The max depth here is 5 feet. You’re at least, I don’t know, six feet tall.”

“Aw, have you been checking me out, Iwa-chan? Or maybe you’re jealous of my height?”

“Oikawa- _san_ , please leave me alone so I can do my job properly.”

Oikawa is definitely pouting now. “You didn’t answer my question, though. Would you save me if I drowned? If I stopped breathing, would you perform mouth-to-mouth CPR to revive me? Would you be the dashing Prince Charming to my sleeping beauty? My knight in shining armor? My life savior?”

Iwaizumi is scowling so hard that the muscles in his face hurt. He wonders briefly if this is how the black-haired boy shouting "Hinata-boke" feels all the time. “Absolutely not.” 

“Hm, but that doesn’t seem like proper behavior for a lifeguard.” Oikawa frowns momentarily, then lights up again. "I thought of something genius just now! Hear me out, okay?”

Iwaizumi feels the dread in the pit of his stomach. His scowl deepens.

“Hey, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa’s dark eyelashes flutter. "It’s good that you’re a lifeguard, because I’m drowning in your eyes."

Iwaizumi groans and hits him in the head with his rescue tube.

* * *

“Hey, Iwa-chan! Want a drink?”

“No glass allowed. Go to the clubhouse kitchen and get a cup.”

“So stingy, Iwa-chan! How about a snack? I’ve got chips here.”

“There’s no food allowed on the pool deck.”

“Do you allow _anything_ here? And stop glaring at me, how was I supposed to know?

“Shittykawa, do you even read the pool rules? They’re hung up everywhere for a reason.”

“Why would I read them when I can have your beautiful voice tell them to me?”

“I am _this_ close to kicking you out of the pool.”

* * *

“Trashykawa, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Takeru and I were just showing these boys who the champions of chicken fighting are.”

“You know wrestling and horseplay are against the rules.”

“Why aren’t you scolding the losers here, Iwa-chan? Takeru and I have triumphed yet again, and therefore we don’t deserve the hate we’re getting.”

“You just enjoy breaking pool rules and getting on my nerves.”

“Oh no, Iwa-chan’s figured me out. Whatever shall I do?”

“Hey, Takeru, cover your ears. I’m about to cuss out your uncle.”

* * *

“All right, fifteen minutes of adult swim! Kids need to get out of the water for now.” Iwaizumi calls, already climbing down from the lifeguard stand. "Thanks."

He’s stretching out his arms and legs after sitting down for forty-five minutes, loosening up before he goes on his break. As he raises his arms over his head, he can see Oikawa blatantly staring at the small strip of skin between his shirt and the waistband of his red swim trunks. 

He catches Oikawa’s eye and drops his arms abruptly. Oikawa shamelessly winks at him.

Meanwhile, Takeru is trudging through the water to the metal ladder to get out of the pool. He refuses to climb out of the pool off the side, opting instead for stairs and ladders only. “I wanna be an adult,” he wails.

Oikawa wades over to his nephew. “Adults are pretty great,” he agrees, with a lascivious look in Iwaizumi’s direction. Iwaizumi considers giving him the middle finger, but children are present, so it’ll have to wait. “So why do you want to be an adult, Takeru?”

Takeru is treading water by the ladder. “So I can stay in the pool for adult swim,” he says with a hopeful look towards Iwaizumi.

Oikawa laughs loudly, his eyes crinkling. Iwaizumi notices he has dimples in cheeks that only appear when he’s genuinely happy.

“Sorry, kiddo, you gotta get out now,” Iwaizumi says. He leans over and extends his hand to Takeru, who takes it reluctantly. He pulls the boy out of the water.

“Iwa-chan is so strong.” Oikawa observes, half-submerged in the deep end. The drops of water in his chocolate brown hair glitter in the sunlight. He’s still laughing, and Iwaizumi almost does the same when he sees those dimples, but he stops himself just in time.

“Shut up, Trashykawa.” Iwaizumi waits until Takeru and the other pool patrons turn around before he flips Oikawa off.

Oikawa gasps, clutching dramatically at his chest like he's been shot in the heart. Iwaizumi shakes his head and turns to head towards the clubhouse for his break.

He won’t admit it, but he’s smiling a little.

* * *

The first injury of Iwaizumi’s lifeguarding season is a minor one. A girl slips on the ladder while trying to get out of the pool, skinning her knee and scraping the bottom part of her palm.

Iwaizumi practically jumps down from the stand in his haste. He rushes over to the girl, who’s begun to tear up, and takes a quick look at her injuries. As her parents fuss over her from the side, he picks out a few band-aids and a disinfecting wipe from the red lifeguard fanny pack that Oikawa has made fun of countless times, glad that the first-aid materials he’d packed at the start of the summer were coming in handy. 

“Hey, it’s okay, you're okay,” Iwaizumi says, smiling gently at her. “Just a little scrape, right? Can you sit right here so I can fix it up for you?”

The girl nods tearfully, shuffling over to a chair by the pool. Iwaizumi smiles at her parents, trying to look reassuring. “No big deal, barely scraped the surface. I’ll clean it up and she’ll be fine.”

He kneels down and inspects her knee before tearing open the alcohol wipe. “It might sting a little, but that means it’s working, okay?” Iwaizumi watches her reaction as he cleans the wound carefully. The girl is still crying, so he hands her a tissue. He feels oddly proud of the fanny pack's usefulness.

“Now I’m going to put a band-aid on, and you’re good to go!” He shows her his array of bandaids, from princess to aliens to dinosaurs. "Which one do you want?"

She sniffs and wordlessly points at the Godzilla band-aid that Iwaizumi had brought from his house. He grins. “Good choice. I like that one the best, too.”

After positioning and sticking the band-aid on her hands and knees, he pats her gently on the shoulder. “You can play in the shallow end if your parents are okay with it.”

"Say thank you to the nice lifeguard, Natsuki," her mom says. She gives the girl a light push forward.

Natsuki's eyes are big and watery, and Iwaizumi finds himself with a goofy smile from how adorable she looks. "Thank you, Mr. Lifeguard."

"You're welcome, Natsuki. Be a little more careful next time, okay?"

The girl nods at him and hurries back to her mom. As she walks away, he can he see her looking down at the Godzilla band-aid, and Iwaizumi feels his heart warm as he turns back to the lifeguard stand. He _loves_ his job.

Iwaizumi's foot falters as he notices Oikawa, who's looking at him with an indiscernible expression from the pool. His features look softened somehow, not the teasing sharp angles and laughing curves that Iwaizumi is familiar with.

“You good there, Trashykawa?”

Oikawa blinks a few times. “I’m good, yeah.” When he looks up at Iwaizumi, the teasing expression is back, but Iwaizumi thinks he can see something like fondness beyond the surface. “I would have chosen the aliens over Godzilla, by the way.”

“Nah. Godzilla’s the best.”

Oikawa frowns. “Maybe if you’re a heathen, sure. Aliens are definitely better.”

“You’re wrong. It’s gotta be Godzilla.”

“Aliens.”

“Godzilla.”

“I’m not doing this with you, Shittykawa. I need to get back to work.”

“Do you concede defeat?”

Iwaizumi grinds his teeth. “Go get Takeru to clear this up.”

Oikawa beckons Takeru to come over, smiling threateningly at his nephew. “Takeru-chan, do you prefer aliens or Godzilla?”

Takeru thinks for a moment. “Godzilla.”

Iwaizumi leans over to high-five the kid. “See, Takeru understands.”

Oikawa sinks halfway into the water, eyebrows furrowed. “I’m surrounded by philistines with no taste,” he declares. "Brutes who fail to see the appeal of the extraterrestrial, the vast unknown beyond our planet."

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and whispers to Takeru, “He’s just mad because he’s wrong.” 

Takeru's giggles are washed out as Oikawa splashes him with a large wave of pool water. 

“No horseplay allowed,” Iwaizumi tells them as he leans away and scrambles up the lifeguard stand, out of Oikawa’s reach.

“Come back down here, you coward! This ends in _war_.”

"I said there's no horseplay."

Oikawa is trying, unsuccessfully, to throw water up at Iwaizumi while Takeru splashes his uncle.

Iwaizumi reminds himself that he’s supposed to hate Oikawa, but he can’t remember the last time he had so much fun at his lifeguarding job.

* * *

“Hey,” Oikawa wades towards him and rests his elbows on the side of the pool, directly below Iwaizumi’s lifeguard stand.

“What do you want?” Iwaizumi asks, resigned.

Oikawa’s eyes are sparkling with mirth. “It’s a good thing you’re a lifeguard, because my heart is stopped and only you can save me.”

“We have a defibrillator over there. Do I need to get it out for you?”

Oikawa shakes his head, water droplets cascading down and darkening the concrete in front of him. “No, no, no. I messed it up. These are hard to come up with, okay? Wait, pretend you didn’t hear that just now. Let me try again. All right.” He looks up at Iwaizumi through his long eyelashes. “It’s a good thing lifeguards know CPR.”

Iwaizumi leans away, eyes narrowed.

“Because you just _took my breath away_.” Oikawa says triumphantly. 

Iwaizumi makes a sound that he hopes portrays the extent of his disgust and disapproval. “That was awful.”

“Hey, I thought it wasn’t too bad! I’d say it was a seven out of ten, as pick-up lines go. I liked the CPR part. You know, mouth-to-mouth.” He puckers his lips and makes kissy faces.

“Three out of ten.” Iwaizumi counters. “Nowhere near a seven. And stop making those faces, you look like a pufferfish.”

Oikawa huffs. “We’ll compromise. It averages out to a five out of ten.”

“Still too high.”

“I don’t see you trying to come up with cute pick-up lines based on my occupation!” Oikawa says, quirking his eyebrow. “It’s more difficult than you might think. See if you can think of a one related to volleyball on the spot.”

Iwaizumi pauses. “You play volleyball?”

“Setter and captain of my high school team,” Oikawa says, his voice revealing his pride.

Iwaizumi nods, impressed. It explains his fitness and physique, at least.

Oikawa looks at him expectantly. “Well?”

Iwaizumi looks around to make sure no one is around to hear them, then clears his throat. “If I _served_ my heart to you, would you _receive_ it?”

He hears a loud splash and an undignified squeal as Oikawa falls backwards into the pool. 

Oikawa resurfaces a few seconds later, face red. “That wasn’t awful. Eight out of ten,” He’s smiling, his cheeks red. His dimples are showing. 

Iwaizumi is laughing before he can stop himself.

* * *

Iwaizumi’s not supposed to have friends at the pool while he’s on duty, but he figures that it’s fine because Kuroo lives in the neighborhood, and there’s practically no one at the pool anyway.

“So where’s that annoying guy you’ve been complaining about recently?” Kuroo puts his things down at the table next to Iwaizumi’s lifeguard stand, and he tries to set up the umbrella.

“He’s not here yet,” Iwaizumi replies, glancing at his watch. “He usually comes around two in the afternoon.”

“Oh, so you know when he usually shows up? Expecting him, are we?”

“It’s really more like dreading.”

Kuroo sits down in the shade of the umbrella and props his feet up on another chair. “Seriously, he can’t be as annoying as you say.”

Iwaizumi shifts in the lifeguard stand. “He’s even worse in real life, trust me.”

“Really?” Kuroo sounds amused. “I think you’re just being sensitive, _Iwa-chan_.”

“Fuck, I regret telling you about this. And don’t call me that.”

“What, only this Oikawa guy can call you Iwa-chan?”

“Shut the fuck up, or I’m never letting you in here again.”

Kuroo sticks his tongue out childishly at Iwaizumi. It reminds Iwaizumi of Oikawa. “Good luck doing that, _Iwa-chan_.”

Iwaizumi smacks Kuroo with the rescue tube. He thinks he uses it more for inflicting harm than actually saving people, but he tries not to think about it too hard.

A car door slams outside, and both move to see a familiar white SUV parked by the pool. Iwaizumi leans back in his chair. “That’s Trashykawa with his nephew, there in the parking lot.”

“What? Who?”

“The annoying guy. His name’s Oikawa and he’s trashy. Hence, Trashykawa. Along with Shittykawa and a couple of other variations, depending on how pissed off I am.”

“You nicknamed him? Wow, you’re in deep.” Kuroo says. “I feel like a mother watching her son grow up and fall in love.”

“Don’t make it weird, Kuroo.”

They watch in contemplative silence as Oikawa opens the trunk of the car and grabs an unholy number of pool toys as he talks excitedly to Takeru.

“Iwaizumi. _Bro_.”

“What?”

“You didn’t say that he’s cute as hell.”

“You’re right, his nephew is cute.”

Kuroo kicks the lifeguard stand. “You know what I meant. How come you failed to mention that this Oikawa guy is very attractive?”

Iwaizumi regards Oikawa and his stupid hair as he walks up to the fence wince Takeru. He tries to convince himself of what he’s about to say. “He’s not that cute.”

“Come on, man, don’t lie. We both have eyes here, and that Oikawa guy can, like, _get it._ Isn’t he basically your type?”

Iwaizumi feels his ears growing hot and decides to blame it on a sunburn. “I don’t have a type.”

“Sure, whatever you say. But if you had a type, he’d be it.” Kuroo smirks, pointing to Oikawa.

Oikawa waves breezily at Iwaizumi from behind the metal fence. “Hi, Iwa-chan! Looking good today! We may have forgotten our key again, do you mind letting us in?”

“I mind, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi grumbles under his breath, but he’s already climbing down from the lifeguard stand.

Kuroo snickers. “Yep, definitely your type.”

* * *

“Hey, Iwa-chan, I thought of another pick-up line. Wanna hear it?”

“No.”

“Okay, great! It goes like this - hey, Lifeguard-chan, you can do a _rear rescue approach_ on me anytime!”

“How the hell do you know what a rear rescue approach is?”

“I did some research! It’s a good line, right?”

“Like hell it is. Why are you wasting your time researching pick-up lines for lifeguards, anyway?”

“Trying to charm my way to your heart, of course.”

“Zero out of ten. I am never, ever, saving your life, Shittykawa.”

* * *

“Hey, Trashykawa.”

“Hm?”

“You must be the perfect set, because I’d love to hit on you.”

“... Nine out of ten.”

“Are you blushing right now?”

“My fair, delicate skin burns easily in the sun, Iwa-chan. But your brutish and tan hide could not be familiar with this feeling.”

“Nice try, dumbass. You’re definitely blushing.”

* * *

“Iwa-chaaan.”

“What?”

“Are you the deep end of the pool? Because I’d love to dive into you.”

“Diving’s not allowed, idiot. You could hit your head and die.”

“It was figurative!”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s a two out of ten.”

“I’d say it’s at least a four. I can see you smiling, Iwa-chan.”

“Your eyesight is awful when you’re not wearing glasses. Two out of ten.”

* * *

Oikawa doesn’t show up at all one day, and Iwaizumi finds himself more worried than he feels he should be.

He waits patiently at 2 PM, craning his neck to see the white SUV parked all crooked in the parking lot, waiting to hear Takeru’s giggles and Oikawa’s quips. Then two o’clock becomes three o’clock and three o’clock becomes four o’clock until it’s seven in the evening, and Iwaizumi’s shift is over.

Iwaizumi wouldn’t be so concerned if not for the fact that Oikawa has never missed a day at the pool for twenty-three days (not that Iwaizumi is counting, of course). Simultaneously, he feels uncomfortable with how much he’s worrying.

It’s normal for the regulars at the pool to skip a day or two, busy elsewhere. Usually, Iwaizumi doesn’t even notice until they return a few days later, and he casually asks them where they’ve been. But it’s different with Oikawa.

Hasn’t he been dreading Oikawa’s arrival every day for the past few weeks? And even if the dread turned to begrudging acceptance, how does it warrant this strange flurry of emotions he feels? If he dislikes Oikawa as much as he claims, why is he worried about him?

The sun is setting, and Iwaizumi begins closing the pool. He folds up the pool chairs and lets out a long breath.

It’s true that their relationship has evolved over the last few weeks from something purely antagonistic to something that feels a lot like actual flirting. Or, rather, it’s gone from Oikawa’s one-sided attempts to flirt to Iwaizumi possibly, just maybe, flirting back.

But despite all the banter, it hadn’t quite felt real to Iwaizumi. He knows his own worth, but he doubts that Oikawa seriously liked him, not when girls and guys alike are practically throwing themselves at him whenever he shows up at the pool. Besides, Iwaizumi barely knows Oikawa. He doesn’t even have a phone number to text, and he’s not sure that Oikawa even lives at house 128 like he claims.

And even if Oikawa gave Iwaizumi his number or lived at 128, Iwaizumi isn’t sure what he would do. Calling or texting him to check up on him feels oddly intimate, too real for the playful nature of their relationship. Going to his house would expand their little world beyond the pool, and Iwaizumi wouldn’t have the excuse of being a simple lifeguard who can’t skip out on his job. 

Lifeguards don’t check on their pool patrons outside the pool. Iwaizumi would have to admit to Oikawa that he cared about him, but he’s unable to even admit the feelings he has to himself.

He locks the gate of the pool and walks slowly to his car, subconsciously hoping that OIkawa might just show up with a wink and a boisterous “Iwa-chan!” and make everything feel normal. If he waits a little longer, maybe Oikawa will appear.

Iwaizumi hesitates when he opens the car door, when he starts the engine, when he reverses the car out of the parking spot. When he realizes that he’s taking his time to leave the pool instead of his usual sprint to the car and breakneck drive home, he frowns.

Oikawa doesn't show up. Iwaizumi shakes his head, unsettled by the fact that he feels worried, and speeds out of the parking lot.

* * *

When Iwaizumi sees the familiar white SUV in the parking lot the next day, he’s at the entrance to the pool in a flash. He peers through the fence, heart beating wildly.

It’s Takeru who clambers out of the back seat, but he’s holding hands with an unfamiliar woman. She wears an elegant white sun hat over long, chocolate brown hair, and her eyes are obscured by large tortoiseshell sunglasses.

When the woman and Takeru are at the door, she smiles at Iwaizumi, pulls out a silver key, and unlocks the door with a twist of her wrist.

“You must be the lifeguard,” she says, taking off her sunglasses. “I’m Oikawa Akari. I’m sure you know Takeru, right?”

Iwaizumi bows to her. “It’s nice to meet you, Oikawa-san. My name is Iwaizumi Hajime.”

Akari laughs and steps into the pool area. “I’ve heard a lot about you from my younger brother. I hope he and Takeru don’t cause you too much trouble. I know they can be a handful sometimes.”

“They’ve been very manageable, ma’am.”

As he looks at her, he can see faint resemblances to the Oikawa he knows. She shares her younger brother’s dark hair and eyes along with the willowiness of her long limbs, but her lovely face is marked with laugh lines and wrinkles. Oikawa’s more bubbly and cheerful, but Akari seems mellowed and soft.

“I doubt that, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Her laugh is quiet. “Tooru was upset that he couldn’t be here yesterday.”

Takeru nods sagely. “He broke our streak of twenty-three days! We were about to break last year’s record.”

“Where was he, then?” Iwaizumi tries to sound offhanded, hoping his voice doesn’t betray the mixed emotions he’s feeling.

Akari’s eyebrows raises, and Iwaizumi knows she can hear the desperation in his voice.m“He’s playing at a volleyball tournament, some kind of qualifier for another competition. You know he plays volleyball, right? Their team is pretty good.”

Iwaizumi nods wordlessly.

“Anyway, he had a game yesterday and two games today.” She checks her watch. “They won the game this morning, but it looks like they’re going to start their next match soon. Takeru and I would be there, but he doesn’t like the distraction of us cheering, and Takeru wanted to come to the pool.”

Iwaizumi has an hour left in his shift that day. “Where is he competing?”

“Sendai City Gymnasium, not too far from here.” She taps the face of her watch and smiles. It looks just a little like Oikawa’s crooked smirk, and Iwaizumi’s heart hurts. “You know, you could probably get there in time to see the last set if you hurry after work.”

Iwaizumi bows again. “Thank you, Oikawa-san,” he says. “I’ll go back to work now.”

* * *

So Iwaizumi finds himself outside of the Sendai City Gymnasium late that night, still wearing his lifeguard uniform. He runs a hand distractedly through his spiky hair, wishing that he had time to change and shower.

To be honest, he isn’t sure why he’s there. It’s not like Oikawa invited him, and his older sister’s implication that Iwaizumi should go visit isn’t exactly a justification for the visit. But Iwaizumi almost misses Oikawa, even though it’s only been a day since they last spoke, and he wants to be there for Oikawa to celebrate over a win or comfort him over a loss.

Iwaizumi swallows and pushes open the door to the gymnasium. At the front desk, a bored looking girl is chewing bubblegum. She regards Iwaizumi’s red swim trunks and tan lines with a bemused expression, but she doesn’t comment on them.

“Here for the match between Karasuno and Aobajohsai?” She asks, already grabbing a ticket for him. “You’re a little late, but you’ll probably be able to see most of it.”

Iwaizumi doesn’t even know the name of Oikawa’s team. “Is the captain of Karasuno named Oikawa?”

The girl laughs. “No, that would be Daichi. Oikawa is Aobajohsai’s captain. He’s pretty famous around here, actually”

Iwaizumi doesn’t know how to respond, so he simply nods. 

“Go down that hall and up the stairs, then you should see the spectator seats,” she tells him. “Shouldn’t be far from here.”

“Thanks,” he replies. After exchanging a couple of dollars for the ticket, he heads in the direction that she points him.

Iwaizumi finds the volleyball court easily, and he opts for a back row seat facing the match between Oikawa’s team and Karasuno. He spots Oikawa clad in a white and turquoise jersey, about to set a ball, and his heart beats a little faster.

An old man next to him tells Iwaizumi that Karasuno had taken the first set, but Seijoh had won the second set, and this final one determined who went to Nationals. 

“Seijoh - ah, that’s what we call Aobajohsai around here - hasn’t ever been to Nationals,” the old man frowns. “A shame, really. That Oikawa is much too good to be stuck playing these old regional games. And it’s his last year to qualify before he graduates.”

Iwaizumi doesn’t really know what he’s talking about, but he asks anyway. “Is it that team Karasuno? - that’s been beating them for the past few years?”

The old man chuckles. “No, it’s Shiratorizawa that you’ve gotta watch out for, really. Karasuno are newbies here, but they’ve got a pair of firsties that are pretty darn good.” He pauses, then whispers conspiratorially. “I was thinking Seijoh would have it in the bag, but I think I’d put my money on Karasuno now.”

Iwaizumi recognizes some of the people on Karasuno’s side of the court as people who have come to the pool - there’s Nishinoya, Tanaka, Hinata, and Kageyama in their black and orange jerseys, Kiyoko on the bench - but his eyes always return to Oikawa in white and turquoise.

“Looks like that Oikawa boy is going to serve,” the old man says gleefully.

Iwaizumi can tell that Seijoh has gained some confidence, and Karasuno looks grim. “Is he that good at serving?”

“He’s the best on this court, for sure. Just watch.”

Iwaizumi stares, mesmerized, as Oikawa points the ball to a tall blonde on the opposite side of the court. He tosses the ball up, smirking, jumps up, and slams it across the net. It hits the blonde’s hands and bounces out of the court.

The crowd goes wild. Iwaizumi’s jaw drops.

The jump serves are one thing, but Oikawa’s skills as setter are another. Iwaizumi can tell that he’s _good_ at setting. Karasuno’s setter, a boy named Kageyma whom Iwaizumi has seen around at the pool, is almost as good. But Oikawa has the experience and trust with each one of his teammates that Kageyama lacks.

“I told ya, didn’t I?” The old man next to Iwaizumi crows. “Oikawa should be showing off at nationals, not old Miyagi prefecture’s qualifiers.”

Oikawa looks different on the court. Of course, Iwaizumi is used to seeing him shirtless and dripping wet (he shakes his head, trying to clear his mind), but it’s not just the jersey or the shoes that catches Iwaizumi’s attention. Everything about him, from his stance to his expression, looks a little bit different. He can’t help but stare at Oikawa, and he feels himself bearing a resemblance to the many fangirls cheering for Seijoh in the audience.

The match goes on. It’s ruthless, even someone with little volleyball background like Iwaizumi knows. The back-and-forth of points makes the gymnasium tense with anticipation, and no one’s quite sure whom they should be cheering for. 

Iwaizumi likes Karasuno enough, from their weird quick spikes to their underdog mentality, but he likes Seijoh more. It’s not just because of Oikawa, but everything about their dynamic. Iwaizumi feels a pang in his chest; he almost wishes he were the one spiking Oikawa’s sets.

Karasuno’s duo, jersey numbers 9 and 10, coordinate a quick set so fast that Iwaizumi isn’t sure what’s happening until the whistle blows and Karasuno’s team erupts in cheers. The score is 24 to 26. Karasuno wins.

Iwaizumi sees Oikawa looking down at the floor, but he’s not crying. 

* * *

It’s long after the match has finished when Oikawa emerges from the building. 

Iwaizumi’s car was parked far away due to his late arrival, but he moved it closer to the entrance once the other cars started leaving. He has a clear view of the door, and he perks up every time it opens, but Oikawa doesn’t appear until a full thirty minutes after everyone else has left. 

Iwaizumi gets out of his car, and the sound of the car door gets Oikawa’s attention. 

Oikawa is staring at Iwaizumi, who’s still dressed in those ridiculously lurid red swim trunks, and he starts laughing without humor in his voice.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa is walking towards him now, long legs across the pavement. When he gets to Iwaizumi, he’s standing a little closer than he usually does.

Without preamble, Iwaizumi pulls him into a hug. They stay like that, arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace, for a long time. Iwaizumi’s trying to communicate his feelings into that one hug, but he’s not sure Oikawa receives them.

“You came to watch me,” Oikawa says, and it’s not a question. “Did you come straight from the pool?”

Iwaizumi isn’t sure why Oikawa is trying to make small talk when he’s so close to crying, but he doesn’t ask why. “Yeah, right after my shift ended.”

“Did you see the - did you see the match?”

“I saw the last set,” Iwaizumi says softly.

Oikawa’s eyes flutter close, then open and stare straight at Iwaizumi. “Thank you for coming. It means - it means a lot to me, Iwa-chan.” He straightens up a little. “I did a good job, right? I did my best.”

Iwaizumi nods. “You were amazing.”

Oikawa’s eye twitches, and Iwaizumi’s hand reaches forward to cup Oikawa’s face before he can stop himself. He wipes the tears that have spilled over Oikawa’s eyes onto his pale cheeks.

“Amazing, but not a genius,” Oikawa whispers, and Iwaizumi doesn’t know what he means, but the words are spilling from Oikawa’s mouth like the tears he’s been holding back for too long. “Amazing, but not good enough to beat Kageyama or his team. I’ll never go to nationals.”

Iwaizumi moves his hands down to Oikawa’s waist, his eyes full of concern and desperation.

“All those years spent practicing, hours of watching volleyball tournaments, days of practice and tournaments and drills - it doesn’t even matter anymore. I lost my only opportunity. My team was counting on me, and I failed them, and they’ll never get to compete at nationals. None of the third years or me. All of them, I failed all of them. I’ll never go to nationals.”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi tries to interject, but one look at Oikawa’s face stops him.

“It was my job. I’m the captain. And I’m the setter, I’m supposed to -” Oikawa’s breathing in and out hard. “I was supposed to -” His voice cracks, and Iwaizumi’s heart breaks. “I was supposed to be the leader. They were all relying on me, and I failed them.”

Iwaizumi gently tugs Oikawa forward, and Oikawa’s leaning down so his head is on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, and they fit snugly together like a jigsaw puzzle. Iwaizumi looks up at the dark sky above them, trying not to let the tears in his eyes escape.

“We lost. I’ll never go to nationals,” Oikawa’s voice breaks at the end, and his face crumples. He buries his face into Iwaizumi’s shoulder and sobs.

Iwaizumi holds Oikawa in his arms as he falls apart.

* * *

Oikawa misses the team bus back to school, so Iwaizumi gives him a ride there.

At first, Iwaizumi’s hesitant to drive him back to his high school. Oikawa’s eyes are bloodshot, and the rest of his face is blotchy. It’s obvious that he’s a mess, but he insists on returning to the Seijoh gym.

“You sure you want to go?” Iwaizumi asks, but he’s already typing Aobajohsai High School into the maps app on his phone.

“Yes,” Oikawa replies. “My team - they’re waiting for me. I have to go.”

They drive back in silence, neither mentioning the match or the hug or anything else that had happened.

Iwaizumi isn’t sure what exactly he and Oikawa are anymore. Friends hug, certainly; he’d hugged Kuroo more times than he could count, but he’d never wiped his tears or held him in a tender embrace. Iwaizumi feels unsure, hesitant, uncomfortable. He desperately wants to know what Oikawa was thinking, but he isn’t able to ask for fear of hurting Oikawa even more. 

So he stays quiet, eyes shifting from the road to the map on his phone. He only glances at Oikawa at stop lights. Oikawa is always looking blankly out the window each time. He’s stopped crying, but his face is more somber than Iwaizumi has ever seen it before.

When they finally arrive at Seijoh, Iwaizumi idles around the gym parking lot, not sure how to say goodbye. Oikawa doesn’t move to get out of the car.

He abruptly turns to Iwaizumi, eyes glittering with tears. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Oikawa says firmly. “I’ll be at the pool.”

“You don’t have to, Oika-”

“I want to. I’ll be there. And I’ll be okay.” Oikawa nods, thanks him quietly, and exits the car. He suddenly whirls around and knocks on the window. 

Iwaizumi rolls it down and leans over, the worry evident on his face. “What is it, Oikawa?”

Oikawa’s hand darts out to grip the front of Iwaizumi's lifeguarding t-shirt, and he smashes their lips together. It’s an awkward angle for both of them, and their front teeth clash at first, but Oikawa’s so adept at kissing that it ends up fine. Iwaizumi leans further towards Oikawa, his seatbelt digging into his chest, but he can’t even feel the discomfort it causes. All he can think about his Oikawa’s mouth on his. 

Oikawa lets go of his shirt and leans back away from the car. He’s panting a little bit, and Iwaizumi feels some weird sense of pride swelling within him. _I did that to him_. Oikawa bites his swollen lip, bends down once more to lightly peck Iwaizumi on the lips in a chaste kiss, then turns and dashes away.

Iwaizumi watches him, a pale figure running towards the light of the gymnasium, and his heart has that odd clenching sensation he’s only felt since he met Oikawa.

He drives home and tries not to think about Oikawa, but it’s a hopeless endeavor.

* * *

True to his word, Oikawa shows up hand-in-hand with Takeru the next day, promptly at two o’clock in the afternoon. Iwaizumi is waiting impatiently at the gate when he catches sight of the white SUV.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa greets Iwaizumi as he steps onto the pool deck. His eyes are shining with some undecipherable emotion, still puffy from crying the day before. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Iwaizumi wants very badly to kiss him right there, but he reminds himself that Takeru is staring up at his uncle and him, there’s an old lady in the shallow end looking curiously at them, and he’s still responsible for her safety. 

“It is lovely today,” Iwaizumi agrees. Takeru looks bewildered.

“Go on,” Oikawa says, gently patting Takeru on the back. “I’ll join you in the pool soon.”

Takeru scurries off, almost running to the pool. Iwaizumi doesn’t blow his whistle.

“Thank you for yesterday,” Oikawa says softly, and Iwaizumi’s heart begins to drop. “I was - it was in the moment. The kiss. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Iwaizumi shakes his head. “Did you mean it?”

“What?” Oikawa looks taken aback.

“Did you mean it? The - the kiss? Or was it a mistake?”

That unreadable expression is back, and Iwaizumi suddenly feels out of his depth. “I’m just going to go, uh, back to the lifeguard stand.”

He turns and begins to walk back towards the pool, leaving Oikawa standing at the entrance. 

But he feels a light tug on the hem of his shirt, and Oikawa is pulling him into the clubhouse and out of the view of any pool patrons, and he’s leaning forward until their foreheads touch.

“I meant it,” Oikawa says, and Iwaizumi can feel his breath. “It was in the moment, but - I meant it. I’d been wanting to do it for a long time now. It wasn’t a mistake.”

Iwaizumi exhales harshly. “That’s - I didn’t know.”

Oikawa moves his hands until they’re clasped around Iwaizumi’s neck, and he closes his eyes like he’s savoring the moment. “You weren’t supposed to know. I wanted to - I didn’t want any distractions before the qualifying matches. But that’s over now.”

“You’re sure about this? About me?” Iwaizumi’s voice is low and slightly rough. He vaguely remembers that he’s supposed to be on duty at the moment, but he pushes the thought aside, too focused on Oikawa’s breaths and voice and warmth all around him.

“I’m sure, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa is smiling with dimples and eye crinkles and everything Iwaizumi loves, and their faces are only inches apart. Iwaizumi’s eyes roam over the quizzical brow he’s used to seeing every day, the long dark eyelashes that have fluttered in his direction so many times, the molten chocolate eyes staring into him, the sharp aquiline nose that Oikawa juts proudly in the air, those damn dimples he adores, the cherry red lips he kissed yesterday.

Iwaizumi kisses Oikawa again, and it’s even better than he remembered.

“Hey, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa says breathlessly when they break apart. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

He smiles. “Yes, Oikawa.”

Oikawa is beaming, and Iwaizumi has never seen something as beautiful in his life. “And what’s the score on that one?” Oikawa asks, resting his forehead on Iwaizumi’s.

“Does that even count as a pick-up line, Trashykawa?”

“Of course it does!”

Iwaizumi pretends to think. “Ten out of ten.”

“Really? So it’s even better than the one about drowning in your eyes?”

“Much, much better." 

“But a _ten_? Iwa-chan, I thought I’d never receive that honor from you.”

“You’re right. It’s a six out of ten."

"Hey-"

"Now stop bothering me, idiot, I’m supposed to be making sure no one drowns right now.”

“Fine, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa says fondly. “But I’m _your_ idiot.”

“I’m _this_ close to chucking you in the pool and not saving your sorry ass.”

“You like my ass, though!”

“That’s it.” Iwaizumi scoops up Oikawa, who lets out a high-pitched squeal, and carries him out of the clubhouse towards the pool. “Into the pool you go, Shittykawa.”

“But you’ll save me, right?” Oikawa asks. His hands snake behind Iwaizumi's neck, and Iwaizumi can see the crinkles in his eyes and the dimples by his mouth. Takeru and the old lady in the shallow end gape at the lifeguard bridal-carrying a tall teenage boy, but they ignore the looks. 

Iwaizumi’s about to toss him in the pool, but before he does, he whispers - just loud enough for Oikawa to hear - “Of course I’ll save you. I always will.”

**Author's Note:**

> lifeguarding just started up for me, so i've had plenty of time to think about fic ideas recently! 
> 
> the cringey lifeguard/volleyball themed pick-up lines took a frankly embarrassing amount of time for me to come up with.
> 
> thank you for reading! kudos/comments mean the entire world to me.


End file.
